


Unto the Universe

by Lumendea



Series: Guardians of the Universe [16]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, full season, original episodes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumendea/pseuds/Lumendea
Summary: Bad Wolf is behind them and the Doctor, Rose and Jack are still together in the TARDIS, traveling the universe and finding adventure. But the Monk is still at large and in service to the Eternals and signs indicate that Bad Wolf might not be as done as the Doctor was hoping. Includes rewrites of: New Earth, Doctor’s Wife, 42, Cold War and more.
Relationships: Rose Tyler/Ninth Doctor
Series: Guardians of the Universe [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/170732
Comments: 138
Kudos: 277





	1. New Earth: Hospital on the Hill

Unto the Universe

Chapter One: New Earth: Hospital on the Hill

By Lumendea

AN: Welcome back everyone! I hope that things are looking up. I know that I’m feeling better about the world in general. A couple of my older relatives and my brother have been vaccinated which is a big relief. I hope that you and your families are all safe and healthy.

………………………..

Being back on the TARDIS was marvelous and, as far as Rose was concerned, indicated that all was right with the universe. Visiting her mum was lovely, but it was good to be back in her own room, even if all she was doing right now was unpacking the laundry that Jackie had insisted on helping her wash while Jack hung about.

“So, when are you and the Doctor going to start sharing a room?” Jack asked. He was smiling at her and batted his eyelashes innocently when Rose turned to look his way.

She ignored him and kept her attention on unpacking her bags into her wardrobe and dresser. Jack was sprawled on her bed, feet hanging off and channeling Shireen when they’d been teens. A small smile tugged at Rose’s lips, and she fought to keep it from trying into a grin. Letting Jack know that you found him amusing was always dangerous.

It was good to be back in the TARDIS. She’d missed the soft ambient sounds of the ship over the past week that they’d lingered in London. Jack had vanished a couple of times to do who knows what and gone out to a pub with Mickey once while Rose had dinner with Sharon and Shireen. As pleasant as it had all been, Rose was ready for a new planet and an adventure.

“You’re being boring, Rose,” Jack whined.

“I want to get settled,” Rose told him firmly. “The Doctor’s already setting coordinates for our next stop.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Your roommate wants to know.”

“We live on the same transdimensional ship, Jack. I’m not sure roommate is the right word. I would have killed you months ago if we actually shared a room.”

“Oh, the Doctor would have killed me long before you would have,” Jacki said with a wink.

Rose did smile now. It probably wasn’t a good thing, but she did enjoy the Doctor’s jealousy sometimes. As long as he didn’t go overboard, it made her feel better about her own struggles with the emotion from time to time.

“And you’re thinking about him again,” Jack groaned. “Seriously, Rose, details. I’m your best friend.”

Raising an eyebrow at Jack, Rose scoffed. “More like frenemy some days.”

“It adds spice to life,” Jack retorted.

“Privacy is a good thing, Jack,” Rose reminded him. “I try to be open-minded, sweetie, but remember when I’m from.”

Jack paused and sighed, but nodded. With a huff, he leveraged himself off the bed and gave her a jaunty wave on his way towards the door. “Fine, Rosie, but if you ever change your mind…”

“I won’t.” Rose rolled her eyes but smiled. “I’ll meet you in the console room in a minute.”

Jack made a production out of them leaving the room, meaning that Rose was almost completely finished by the time she was gone. She opened her wardrobe and checked once again to make sure that the TARDIS hadn’t provided anything new for her, but the ship seemed to think that her jeans and science formula t-shirt were fine for the day out. The TARDIS didn’t even provide a coat. That settled, Rose grabbed her shoulder bag and rushed to the console room.

“There you are,” the Doctor greeted. His eyes brightened at the sight of her, and Rose grinned in response.

“Have we landed?” Rose asked. She moved over to join the Doctor, letting him wrap a hand around her waist before she leaned up to give him a quick kiss.

“We were just waiting on you,” the Doctor replied. He gestured at the door. “If you would, Rose.”

Grinning, Rose kissed the Doctor again, just because she could, and headed for the door. That familiar tingle of excitement rolled down her spine. Rose settled her hands on the door latch and inhaled slowly, savoring the feeling of knowing there was a new world waiting for her. She heard a chuckle from Jack and ignored him before she opened the door and stepped outside.

It was warm and sunny, with a strong breeze ripping across the landscape. They had landed on a grassy hillside near a bay of water. On the far side of the water were shining skyscrapers rising high into the sky. Flying cars zoomed overhead towards the city, and Rose could see the bustle of the metropolis in the distance. Despite the size, there were no flashing lights, and the noise level was low. She inhaled the clean air, taking in the smell of something sweet that was unfamiliar to her.

“It’s the year five billion and twenty-three,” the Doctor said. He joined her and took her left hand in his right. “We’re in the galaxy M87, and this planet is known at New Earth.” The Doctor grinned and gestured at the green and blue landscape before them.

“I’ve heard of this planet,” Jack said with a smile of his own. He stepped up to the Doctor’s side, pulling a pair of sunglasses out from the leather coat he was wearing, and slipped them on. Rose figured it was just as well that she wasn’t wearing a leather coat too, or they’d look like an early nineties band. “From a Time Agent that went too far into the future. Never thought I’d see it.”

“New Earth,” Rose repeated. She squeezed the Doctor’s hand and smiled up at him. “End of Earth for our first date and now New Earth for our first trip as a couple?”

The Doctor’s ears reddened, and Rose knew that’d gotten it right. Jack snorted and leaned forward to look at the Doctor’s face. She almost wished that she hadn’t said anything out loud given in the look on Jack’s face.

“End of the Earth?” Jack repeated. “Doctor, if you need date ideas-”

“Do not,” the Doctor said. “Just- just don’t, Jack.” He shook his head. “Anyway, after the death of the Earth, humans all around the universe started getting nostalgic for the old planet. This planet was the same size as Earth, same air, and same orbit. There was no intelligent life already living here, so they made some adjustments to the continental plates and seeded it with some of the Earth flora and fauna that had been put onto other colony worlds. It isn’t a perfect recreation, but it is impressive.” The Doctor shrugged. “Call went out, and you lot moved in by the millions. The population is about 4 billion now.”

Rose looked up at the Doctor. He was looking across the water at the city with a soft expression. It wasn’t sad or angry. For their first trip, he’d taken her to watch her world burn so that she would understand a little what it was like. She was hopeful that this wasn’t an apology for that but that it didn’t bother him. She hoped that sitting here on the grass of a new human homeworld wasn’t bitter for him.

“What’s the city called?” she asked.

“New New York,” the Doctor answered with a chuckle.

“Come on?” Rose scoffed.

Jack snorted. “Probably not, Rose. In my home time, there were New Yorks on at least a dozen planets.”

“It’s the fifteenth city to bear that name,” the Doctor said. “Not including the original York of England.”

“I’m not sure if that’s cute or lacking in creativity,” Rose sighed.

“I often feel the same way with you lot,” the Doctor admitted. “But it is often just called New York since the original cities are long gone.”

Then the Doctor paused and frowned slightly. Using his left hand, he reached into his coat and pulled out the psychic paper. Rose and Jack both leaned closer in an attempt to see what was going on.

“What’s up?” Jack asked.

The Doctor turned the psychic paper towards Rose. It had the words “Ward 26, please come.” Then he showed Jack, who reached into his own coat and pulled out his psychic paper. It was blank.

“It wasn’t a general call,” Jack said. “Mine didn’t pick anything up.” Jack’s good mood melted away, and he frowned. “Directed at only you then.”

“Yes, someone wants to see me,” the Doctor said. He pointed at the white building on the shore with a green crescent moon on the side. “That’s a hospital. Probably the location this message came from. Ward 26.”

“And here I thought we were just sightseeing,” Rose teased.

“It never works that way,” Jack reminded her.

“It sometimes does,” the Doctor huffed.

“Do you know who the message is from?” Rose asked. She studied the message on the paper. “Does the handwriting change based on who is sending the message?”

The Doctor beamed at the question. “Yes, it does. The message will usually take the form of their handwriting. In order to send a message like this, you’d have to focus on what you want the receiver to see, just like using the psychic paper any other time. And people usually visualize their own handwriting in cases like this.” The Doctor closed the psychic paper and slipped it back into his jacket. “But not always. And the handwriting isn’t familiar to me.” He looked around the landscape. “I don’t know many people in this era.”

“And it’s been some time since Platform One, right?”

“Hundreds of years,” the Doctor agreed. “Though, that doesn’t rule out people from platform one. Medical advancements have changed lifespans a great deal by this point.”

“I bet,” Jack chimed in. “People in my time have had telomere enhancements for centuries to slow aging. I’m almost afraid of what sort of technology exists now.”

“And Queen Liz had her aging frozen,” Rose remembered. “So, basically, it could be someone we’ve met or someone completely new?”

“No point standing here wondering then,” the Doctor said. He grabbed Rose’s hand and gently tugged her. “Come on.”

“You sure?” Jack pressed. “They’d have to be powerful to only get one psychic paper like that.”

“You’re choosing now to become paranoid?” the Doctor asked.

Jack shrugged and started to follow. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t go, I’m just advising caution. Lead the way, Doc.”

They started the hike across the grassy hillside. All the while, Rose inhaled the sweet smell of the grass while the Doctor talked about the early colonization efforts, and Jack theorized over who or what might have called them.

It turned out that the hospital was closer than Rose had assumed and was much smaller than she’d imagined a hospital for the size of the city would be. There were no guards at the doorway, which they had to go around the front of the building to find. One aspect that was very familiar was the car park out front where the flying cars were pack and racked in a small building. The gleaming building was oddly threatening as they headed for the door, and Rose had a strange sense of unease.

Rose had never spent much time in hospitals. Well, she’d spent some time in UNIT medical wings, but she knew that they weren’t standard. Normal hospitals didn’t tend to have soldiers stationed as guards and weren’t run with as much military precision. Jackie had usually taken her to a nearby clinic for her medical checkups and vaccinations, but the Tylers had been lucky in regards to serious injury and illness.

But despite not having been in hospitals much, something about the massive building they walked into seemed off to Rose. There were lots of people around, and the atmosphere was busy but happy. The main room wasn’t as large as she’d expected, and there were what seemed to be lifts on the far side. It lacked a reception desk and even a gift shop.

Then she saw the staff. At least she assumed that they were. A group of humanoids dressed in what seemed to be nun’s clothing were walking through the room. But one turned towards Rose and nodded in greeting, revealing an unmistakable feline face. Rose almost tripped. She’d seen a lot of different aliens over the years, but this was… surprising.

“They’re cats,” Rose whispered to herself.

Jack chuckled beside her. “How serious do you think that nun thing is? Are they still under those same unfortunate vows?”

“Jack,” Rose scolded. But she smiled and shook her head. “I suppose given that this era has fully mobile and sentient trees, I shouldn’t be surprised that cats have become humanoid.”

“No, you shouldn’t be,” the Doctor replied. He was smiling at her reaction. “It isn’t surprising when you think about it. Cats basically domesticated themselves on Earth. They moved in with humans when you started farming and attracting rodents to your settlements. They are a pragmatic bunch.” He glanced around the entry and shuddered. “Come on, let’s figure out who called us and then get out of here.”

“What’s wrong, Doctor?” Jack asked. “Don’t like hospitals?”

“No, too many bad experiences.” The Doctor squeezed Rose’s hand before releasing it. He turned and looked up at the massive opening above them. Layers upon layers of floor encircled it, and Rose wondered how many patients this place could hold. “I’ll have to tell you about my regeneration into my eighth body some time. You’ll understand then.” He looked at Jack and smirked. “Plus, I met you in a hospital.”

“Ouch.”

“You met him in a hospital,” Rose pointed out. “I met him in his ship.” At least that was when Jack had met her.

“I’m wounded,” Jack huffed. “You two wound me.”

“You’ll manage,” the Doctor replied. He paused and studied the room around them. “But do be careful here. The TARDIS grants you a lot of protection, but this far in the future, diseases have evolved far past anything either of your immune systems have ever seen.”

“I won’t lick anyone,” Jack promised. “Well… no patients.”

“I’ll mind the staff,” Rose promised. “Jack, behave.”

“Fine, I will,” Jack huffed as though carrying a great burden.

“It’s weird that this place is outside the city,” Rose said, glancing back at the doors. “I mean, is that a quarantine feature or is transportation so advanced that they don’t need hospitals centrally located?”

“Probably both,” the Doctor replied. “With intergalactic travel, viruses and germs mutate at a rate that would make the scientists of your time lose their minds. I suspect that building them away from the main population centers is a safety precaution.”

“Ah.” Rose looked around. There were no obvious defenses or lockdown systems, but then again, this far in the future, she wasn’t sure what she’d even be looking for. “I’m going to hope that nothing like that happens.”

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Jack sighed.

“Oh, come on, you two. Sooner we find the person who called, the sooner that we can leave.”

Whispers behind her made Rose pause and look back. Two of the cat nuns were leaning close together with serious eyes as they whispered to each other. One of them seemed nervous though Rose wasn’t confident in her ability to read their faces. The layer of fur and extra muscles and flesh around the mouth was throwing her off. Yet, the feeling of the hospital, already creepy to her, shifted slightly.

Rose frowned. Was she picking something up telepathically, or was this normal human unease with hospitals? The Doctor didn’t seem worried. But this feeling clawed at her. Something was wrong. Something about this place…

“Rose!” Jack shouted. “Come on!”

His voice echoed, and Rose jumped as everyone turned to look at them. She turned and found the Doctor and Jack waiting in a lift with bemused expressions. Rose flushed and hurried over. The doors slammed shut before Rose could reach them. Inside the lift, the Doctor and Jack both blinked in surprise. The system started switching on around them.

“Rose?” Jack called.

“I’m fine. There’s another one,” Rose called through the door. “Maybe only two at a time.”

“Shouldn’t be,” the Doctor said. He was frowning. “Watch out for the disinfectant system.”

Rose blinked at the words. That made some sense, but she had no idea what it would actually be like. Still, she moved to the second lift and calmly asked for Ward 26. The doors slid closed, and the lift began to descend instead of rising.


	2. New Earth: Cassandra

Unto the Universe

Chapter Two: New Earth: Cassandra

By Lumendea

AN: Thank you for all the great comments! The excitement you have the new season is fantastic! I have a family thing this weekend so I’m posting earlier. I hope everyone has a good weekend.

………………………..

When the doors of the lift opened, Rose glared into the dim space ahead. At first, it was due to her discomfort with the wash and rinse cycle that she’d unexpectantly gone through, but then it was because she realized that she was not where she was supposed to be. It wasn’t dark, but it was a big change from the clean light of the upper floors. She knew that this wasn’t Ward 26 and wondered how long it would take the boys to freak out and start ripping the hospital apart. That probably depended on how quickly the Doctor found who had called them.

Then a man stepped forward. Well, not so much as stepped forward, but tentatively approached, almost hunched over. They were humanoid and dressed in what almost looked like scrubs. Judging from the facial structure, Rose was inclined to think of them as male but cautioned herself that this far in the future, it was likely much more complex than that. The being had strange markings on its face and was watching her with eager eyes.

“The human child is clean.”

“I think I’m in the wrong place,” Rose said. She glanced at the piles of discarded equipment near the lift’s entrance. “I’m looking for Ward 26.”

“This way, Rose Tyler,” the being said.

“How do you know my name?”

They didn’t answer. They turned and started walking. Rose rubbed her bracelet before slowly following. As strange as this was, she might have found who was looking for them. After all, there was nothing saying that they were still in Ward 26. The hike had taken time, and this person knew her name. That odd feeling that something was wrong was still hounding Rose, and she kept a close eye on her surroundings, ready to react if she needed to.

…………

In all honesty, this hospital was a bit of a letdown as far as the Doctor was concerned. This far in the future, he had been expecting better privacy conditions instead of the small cubicle situation that he and Jack found. He supposed that it was some kind of new treatment system that allowed the patients to socialize more, but he could easily overhear everything the nurse was saying to a patient a few cubicles down. As a Time Lord, he knew better than to have expectations about the development of technology and best practices, but he supposed that his time with humans was rubbing some of their bad habits off on him.

“What now?” Jack asked softly. “I was hoping to be greeted.”

“We look around,” the Doctor answered.

The Doctor took a step towards one of the patient cubicles. Inside of it was a heavyset being dressed in finery for the time with skin that was darker and rougher than it should be. A woman beside him had the air of a personal assistant with teeth. Wailing was leaving the man as he stared at his hand, and the Doctor fought back a grimace.

“Excuse me! Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York.”

“Petrifold Regression, correct?” the Doctor asked. He nodded at the man’s hand.

“I’m dying, sir. A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this,” the Duke groaned.

“Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance,” the assistant barked.

“Frau Clovis! I’m so weak,” the Duke cried.

One of the nuns walked over and glanced at the Doctor. “Sister Jatt. A little privacy, please.”

The Doctor almost snorted. If they wanted privacy, then they should look at the early 21st century and their rules regarding private rooms. Curtains didn’t cut it in Rose’s time. None the less, he drew back, and the younger cat nun pulled a curtain across to block their view of the man.

“He’ll be up and about in no time,” the nun promised with a smile.

“With Petrifold Regression?” the Doctor asked with disbelief. “He’s turning to stone.”

“Yikes,” Jack hissed. “Can they cure it?”

“Not for another thousand years,” the Doctor replied.

“Have faith in the Sisterhood,” Jatt said calmly. “But who is that you are here to see? It’s rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient.”

“He’s here to see me,” a voice said behind them. “Apologizes, Sister Jatt. I was delayed.”

The Doctor knew that voice. He’d been trying to sort out who in this time would know them, but for some reason, the man hadn’t occurred to him. Turning around, the Doctor found Lord Adam Tyler standing a few feet away from them with a practiced smile in place.

Lord Adam Tyler looked the same as he had on Platform One. His handsome face was framed by wavy brown hair with just the tiniest hint of red. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make the Doctor a touch envious. The man was even wearing a similar suit to the one he’d worn at the Death of the Earth Event though the tie was different, and it was a touch darker. He appeared to the world as an attractive businessman, the sort of man who would be Chairman of the Earth Trust until the end of the planet. But the Doctor remembered the other title the man had been introduced with.

Mal Lupa Consortium. The Doctor remembered that part of the man’s title as well. Unease churned in his gut. Bad Wolf again. While he was starting to accept, really accept, that Bad Wolf was a positive thing like Rose had always said, it still grated on the Time Lord. Her message was across all of the space and time of the universe, which only served as a reminder of the great danger Rose had put herself in. Was this man’s title just another part of that or something else? This was their first trip since the Bad Wolf’s confrontation with the Daleks.

The nun’s eyes widened, and she smiled, giving Adam Tyler a nod. “Of course, Lord Tyler. I’ll see to my patients then.”

“Thank you, Sister,” Adam replied with a charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He turned to the Doctor and nodded. “Hello, Doctor. It’s good to see you again.”

“Jack, this is Adam Tyler,” the Doctor introduced. He kept his eyes on the man, unsure of what to think about the summons. “Rose and I met him a while ago at an event on Platform One. The event that Rose told you about. Lord Tyler, this is Jack Harkness.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Adam said. He held out his hand for a handshake and gave Jack a small smile.

“The pleasure is-” Jack started to say.

“Please,” Lord Tyler groaned. He honestly looked pained. “Don’t. Just, don’t.” The Doctor wasn’t sure what to make of the man’s expression. He didn’t seem surprised but truly seemed pained by Jack’s aborted attempt to flirt. Adam quickly turned his attention back to the Doctor. “Thank you for coming, Doctor, but let’s talk somewhere more private.”

“Course,” the Doctor replied. But then he frowned and looked towards the lifts. “Rose should have been here by now.”

“Maybe she went to the wrong floor,” Jack suggested.

A soft sigh escaped Adam. “Likely.” He looked like he had more to say but then thought better of it. “The situation is complicated. I’m here inspecting the hospital for potential funding.”

“You’re a philanthropist?” Jack asked. He started to smile.

“Please don’t flirt with me,” Adam said calmly. “Trust me on that, Jack Harkness. You will be happier in your future if you know that you didn’t flirt with me.”

That got both Jack and the Doctor’s attention. The Doctor’s eyes narrowed on Adam, who shrugged and gestured to a corridor leading out of the room. “As I said, let’s talk somewhere privately.” His eyes moved back to the lift doors. “I’m sure that Rose will be able to find you. She always does.”

The way the young man said that last part made the Doctor’s time senses flare. They rang of truth and rolled down his spine, heavy and warm. That didn’t happen often, but something about the statement reverberated through time itself. Adam smiled slightly at him, and the Doctor had the odd feeling that the young man knew what had just happened. Narrowing his eyes, the Doctor considered trying to scan the man.

“I’m a hybrid, Doctor,” Adam said as if reading the Doctor’s mind. “You’d have a hard time getting a clear result.”

“You’re not in my head,” the Doctor said. He was confident in his shields.

“No, I just guessed. I am part Verlan,” he offered. “A relative of Eve’s, to be exact.” He gestured for them to follow. “This way, come on.”

“He’s got to be a time traveler,” Jack whispered as they followed. “How well do you know him?”

“I barely know him,” the Doctor replied. “Stay on guard.”

The Doctor felt a bit bad even saying that. Adam Tyler on Platform One had been pleasant, helpful, and concerned about the lives of the staff. If he was related to Eve, then it might explain some things, though the relationship was either beyond distant or he was a time traveler like Jack said. And now the Doctor had to wonder about his last name: Tyler. Was it his real last name or a reference to Rose due to her friendship with Eve?

………………….

A reel to reel projector was running in the dim space. Rose stared at it in stunned silence as she inched forward. The video was projecting on a nearby wall. There was a blonde woman in the midst of a party, surrounded by others and smiling widely.

“I mean, you never know what your life is going to be like, ever,” the woman laughed. Her voice was familiar. “I’m bored with this drink. Anyway. Oh, hello, darling! Now, don’t. Stop it,” she teased another partygoer.

“I know that voice… that’s-”

The lights brightened, making Rose jump. She turned and found the very same trampoline of flesh in her frame a few feet away.

“Peekaboo!” Cassandra greeted.

“Don’t you come anywhere near me, Cassandra,” Rose ordered.

“Why? What do you think I’m going to do? Flap you to death?”

“You’re intelligent and vicious,” Rose retorted. “I’m not going to underestimate you.” Then she glanced at the strange little man kneeling near Cassandra. “Not to mention, Gollum there.”

“Oh, that’s just Chip. He’s my pet,” Cassandra replied, a hint of fondness in her voice.

“I worship the mistress,” Chip breathed. His tone made Rose believe that he did just that.

“Moisturise me, moisturise me,” Cassandra ordered. Chip immediately did as he was told, spraying some solution on the skin. “He’s not even a proper life form. He’s a force grown clone. I modelled him on my favourite pattern. But he’s so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs.”

“I hope that means food,” Rose sighed. But at least both of them were in view. “You were imprisoned,” Rose said. Part of her wasn’t surprised that Cassandra had escaped. The… being was harsh and pragmatic. “Please tell me that you weren’t released for good behavior or any nonsense like that.”

“After you threw me in prison.”

“You were imprisoned for your crimes on Platform One. Need I remind you that the Steward died, and you planned the deaths of many more. That’s something called a consequence, Cassandra.”

“And you think that the prison provided proper medical support for me! You think that they gave me sensitive, precious skin the care it needed?”

Rose hated the flicker of compassion she felt at those words. “I’m sure they did their best.”

“And it was not good enough. Thankfully, they allowed the creation of Chip.”

“I helped Mistress escape,” Chip said proudly. “Chip secreted m’lady into the hospital.”

“So they don’t know you’re lurking in the basement?”

“Chip steals medicine,” Cassandra attendant said. “Helps m’lady. Soothes her, strokes her.”

“And that’s enough detail, Chip,” Rose sighed.

“But I’m so alone, hidden down here,” Cassandra sighed dramatically. “The last Human in existence.”

“Don’t start that again, Cassandra,” Rose groaned. She hated the disdain in the… skin’s voice. “They’ve called this planet New Earth.”

“A vegetable patch.”

“And there’s millions of Humans out there. Millions of them,” Rose insisted.

“Mutant stock,” Cassandra scoffed.

“They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should,” Rose said. “Just as all life does. You chose to stay still and stew in your own xenophobic disdain. You turned yourself in a flap of skin! What did all of it get you? Prison and now a hidey-hole in the basement of a hospital.”

Cassandra’s eyes moved to look back at the wall with the projection. She acted like she hadn’t even heard Rose. “Oh, I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace,” Cassandra sighed. “It was a wonderful night. People fawning over me, but…after that, it all became such hard work.”

“Well, you’ve got a knack for survival, I’ll give you that,” Rose muttered. “But I’m not hanging around for your nostalgia trip.”

She started to turn to leave, already trying to decide if she should find the Doctor first or grab the nearest nun. There had to be some sort of security here or at least over the city. Rose couldn’t see Chip putting up much of a fight.

“But I’ve not been idle, Rose, tucked away underneath this hospital. I’ve been listening,” Cassandra cooed behind her. “The Sisters are hiding something.”

“Preserving patient privacy, I’m sure.” Against her better judgment, Rose turned around and glared at Cassandra.

“Oh, don’t be so simple, Rose,” Cassandra laughed. “These cats have secrets. Hush, let me whisper. Come close.

“I’m not coming anywhere near you.”

Then a shock rolled up Rose’s arm; she tried to summon her sword and twist away. Cassandra shouted something to chip. Something slammed into her telepathic shields as light surrounded her. Around her wrist, the sword started to transform, but a jolt up her arm caused Rose to convulse. The sound of electricity and the hum of energy filled her ears. Her wrist felt bare, but she wasn’t holding her sword. There was a metallic clink as the bracelet hit the ground.

“Cassandra! Stop! What are you doing?” Rose’s shields shattered.

“The lady’s moving on. It’s goodbye trampoline, and hello blondie.”

The thrum of energy increased. Rose pulled against the restraints, panic in her movement, but she couldn’t escape. She tried to muster the focus to reach towards the Doctor. They’d only discussed it in theory, never in practice, but her efforts amounted to nothing. There was too much. Her head-

Rose collapsed to the ground. The energy cut off, and the room dimmed once again. Her soft breathing was the only sign of movement for a long moment. Chip crept forward nervously, reaching a tentative hand towards her.

“Mistress?”

“Moisturize me,” she groaned. But then the figure stirred. “How bizarre. Arms, fingers, hair!” Cassandra looked at her stolen body in awe. Chip helped her to her feet. “Let me see! Let me see!” She pushed Chip away and turned to the mirror. “Oh my God. I’m a chav!”

Cassandra studied the reflection with a glare. “Look at me. From class to brass.” She turned slightly and ran a hand over Rose’s hip. “Although, oh, curves.” Laughing, she jumped and watched the way the stolen body moved. “Oh, baby, it’s like living inside a bouncy castle!”

“The mistress is beautiful,” Chip added.

“Absolutement!” Cassandra cheered. But in looking away from the mirror, she caught sight of the equipment. “Oh, but look.” She pointed to the equipment that had held her skin. The equipment that had been keeping her skin alive was smoking and the tank with her brain had gone dark. Cassandra supposed that she should have felt something at the sight, but she didn’t. She had survived.

“Oh, the brain lead expired. My old mistress is gone,” Chip said sadly.

“But safe and sound in here.” Cassandra tapped Rose’s temple with a smile.

“But what of the Rose child’s mind?” Chip asked.

“Oh, tucked away,” Cassandra said. “I can just about access the surface memory.” Her brown furrowed slightly as she thought. “And she’s…” Cassandra trailed off. “Romantically entangled with that awful Doctor! Disgraceful, a pure human, and she’s thrown herself at an alien.” Cassandra scowled before realizing what she was doing. Exhaling she relaxed her features and raised a hand to Rose’s face. “I must be careful. New skin. It wouldn’t do to wrinkle it already. Well, not more than the Chav already has. Honestly, doesn’t this girl know how to take care of herself?”

“Mistress is beautiful,” Chip repeated.

“Well, I can work with it at least. Needs a bit of work, but there will be time for that later,” Cassandra agreed, allowing herself a small smile. “But I think I’ll start with what those nuns are hiding. New body, new life, and I have standards.”


	3. New Earth: Adam

Unto the Universe

Chapter Three: New Earth: Adam

By Lumendea

………………………..

The room Adam found to talk in was more a supply closet than anything else. He searched the corners for a moment before nodding to himself and turning back to Jack and the Doctor. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers and sighed out loud.

“Short version, I keep tabs on Cassandra,” Adam explained. “I received notice that she’d somehow escaped prison.”

“How does a flap of skin escape prison?” the Doctor asked with narrowed eyes.

“Most of her fortune was seized in the aftermath of Platform One,” Adam explained. “But it seems she had some funds left hidden away. She likely managed to hire some help by bribing one of the guards overseeing her security.” He shrugged and sighed. “I don’t think the guards understood how dangerous she was despite my efforts. I tracked her to New Earth and have reason to believe that she’s in the hospital with at least some help nearby.”

“Why here?” Jack asked. “Medical supplies?” He glanced at the Doctor. “This is the trampoline, right? Rose mentioned her.”

“That’s the one,” the Doctor said. He looked back at Adam. “Why do you care so much?”

“She did try to kill me too,” Adam pointed out. “And I was one of the last custodians of Earth; maybe that gives me a sense of responsibility when it comes to the last human.” Sarcasm filled Adam’s voice on the last two words. “But in any case, I came here and offered some extra funding as a cover to look for Cassandra. As for why here, I’m not sure beyond that this is supposed to be one of the best hospitals in the world, and she may be hoping to learn something useful here.”

“Why call me?” the Doctor asked.

“Felt your TARDIS land,” Adam offered. At the Doctor’s surprised expression, Adam chuckled. “Don’t panic, Doctor. That’s not something you need to worry about with any frequency. Your TARDIS just causes a spark that Verlans can sense.” Adam sighed. “I wish that this was just about Cassandra, but in checking out the hospital, I’ve noticed that something is wrong here.”

“Wrong?” Jack pressed. “How so?”

“Their medical science is off,” Adam said. “They have cures that no one else has, and when they share them, they can’t provide any data on how they were developed. There are no labs here, Doctor. There are no medical research facilities on record.”

“That is odd,” the Doctor agreed slowly. “Are you sure?”

“Go and spend a few more minutes out there,” Adam offered. He gestured at the door of the supply room. “You’ll see what I mean. Feel free to say that you’re with me and observing.” Adam shook his head, looking very young all of a sudden. “And there’s this feeling to the hospital. Something seems wrong. I wish I could pinpoint it for you, but I can’t.”

“How much do you trust him?” Jack asked the Doctor quietly. He kept his eyes on Adam, who sighed.

“That’s a bit insulting, Jack,” Adam said. But then he turned and headed for the door. “I’ll try to stay in this ward, but the sisters might pressure me to move one. I’ll keep an eye out for Cassandra, but please look at what is happening here. There is something wrong.”

With that, Adam left the small room, leaving Jack and the Doctor frowning behind him. The Doctor could tell that Jack was shaken because he didn’t even make a comment about them being in a small supply room. Before his companion could start cracking jokes, the Doctor headed out the door himself. He glanced back into the main room and found Adam speaking with one of the patients. As he moved closer, he heard Adam asking them about the quality of care and their experiences here. But the man’s eyes were sharp, and the Doctor caught him glancing around the room.

“Doctor?” Jack asked.

“I’m going to look around. Keep your eyes open for any sign of a flap of skin in a frame,” the Doctor said. “If she is here, then there are problems.”

“Do you believe him?” Jack asked.

“Maybe. Not sure yet, but he may have a point.”

“I’m calling Rose,” Jack said. “To check-in.”

“Good,” the Doctor agreed. “Warn her about Cassandra. She’ll understand the danger.”

Nodding, Jack headed out of the room and leaned against the wall. There weren’t many people coming and going. The Doctor left behind him and followed Adam, a curious expression on his face. Jack wasn’t sure what was going on. Adam’s plea for him not to flirt hinted at a possible relationship, but Jack didn’t know the man, and Adam’s plea hadn’t sounded like he expected Jack to know him. Adam was definitely a time traveler of some sort, but who was he to them?

He pulled out his phone and called Rose’s phone, keeping his eyes open and scanning the hallway. No one was paying any attention to him. Jack watched one of the nuns gracefully stride by, a calm expression on their face as he mulled over Adam’s words. He frowned; it was taking Rose some time to answer her phone, but then finally, the call connected.

……………..

Cassandra brought the phone to her ear. At least this technology was fairly familiar to her. Communication devices almost always returned to the same basic size and shape for humans. Oh, there had been eras with implants, but hacking made them too dangerous. Sometimes, the personal devices grew too large with features and then were pushed back to a small size for convenience. This one was the most primitive she’d ever seen, but she knew how to make it work.

“Hello?”

“Rose, this is Jack. Where are you? Are you okay?”

Rose’s memory stirred. Not much, but just enough for Cassandra to pluck the information. She could feel a faint hum in her brain and frowned. It was vaguely familiar, a bit like the psionic restraints that she’d been close to in the past. Cassandra nudged at the memory and got only a vague hint of a memory. Rose and the Doctor had been practicing something in a white room. It didn’t make sense to Cassandra, and she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t able to access more of the memory.

“Rose, are you okay?” the man asked again.

“Ah yes,” Cassandra replied. Chip smiled at her as she struggled to replicate Rose’s accent. It wasn’t quite old cockney, but it wasn’t as refined as her own. That thought caused another stir of memory, but it quickly vanished behind some sort of fog. “Sorry, Jack darling, a bit distracted. Got turned around.”

“Normally, I’d like the darling,” Jack sighed on the other end. “We’re still up in Ward 26, but there is an Adam Tyler here. The Doctor indicated that you both met him.”

Nothing stirred in the memory. In fact, at that name, the fog became thicker and heavier. The memories were withdrawing from Cassandra. But thankfully, she remembered that man. That horrible man who had taken her into custody. Had he talked with the Doctor and Rose? She thought he must have.

“Yes,” she said carefully. “What about him? Why is he here?”

“He said that Cassandra is here. He’s looking for her. You should meet up with us. Adam Tyler seems to think she had help.”

“Adam Tyler,” Cassandra almost growled. “I got a bit turned around, but I’ll be up to join you.”

“Okay, see you soon. Don’t get lost again.”

Cassandra exhaled as the call ended. How was it so stressful just talking to some of Rose’s friends. She didn’t remember this man Jack from Platform One. So he was new, and she knew nothing about him.

“Mistress?” Chip asked.

“That blasted Adam Tyler is here looking for me,” Cassandra said. Then she scowled at the lift doors. “Why is he here? Does he have nothing better to do than hunt for me? It’s ridiculous, and now he’s alerted the Doctor that I’m here!”

“Perhaps Mistress should stay here,” Chip offered. “Or we could leave the hospital. Find a new hiding spot.”

“No,” Cassandra said. “These nuns have secrets, Chip. And I can use that. I’ll not allow Adam Tyler or the Doctor to force me back on the run.” She tossed her hair, enjoying the feeling of having long hair once again, even if the color wasn’t the proper shade of gold. Her hair had been superior. The silly human girl had some split ends that she hadn’t attended to. “Perfume.” She held out her hand, and Chip dutifully handed her the bottle, which she tucked into Rose’s bag. “Why does the girl wear such high neck shirts,” Cassandra sighed. “You stay out of sight, Chip. You’re my secret weapon.”

Her dear servant beamed at her when she said that. Cassandra would miss him. Chip was nearing the end of his life, and she needed resources quickly if she was going to regain a secure position. She looked different now. Once she had the information she needed, she would blackmail the nuns and slip away. This planet might be a vegetable patch, but Cassandra could make use of the people here. Rose might not meet her standards yet, but all the flaws could be fixed. Cassandra just needed to be patient.

She entered the lift, tossing her hair over her shoulder and straightening up. Judging from how the body reacted, Rose was lack with proper posture. Cassandra scoffed and watched the indicators of the lift as it rose. Bracing herself, she suffered through a round of disinfectant, almost laughing at the sudden burst of sensation. She’d forgotten that. Chip’s stroking kept some of the distress at bay, not that she ever would have admitted such weakness, but this was different. Cassandra moved the fingers of Rose’s hand against the jeans that Rose was wearing. It was glorious, and Cassandra smiled. Even breathing had a fresh excitement to it that she’d forgotten.

The lift doors opened, and Cassandra stared out at the floor. The Doctor and another man, likely this Jack, were standing nearby and talking. Cassandra wasn’t sure about this. Getting too close to the Doctor seemed dangerous, but… well, she remembered how capably he’d unraveled her plan on Platform One. If she could point him in the right direction then just stand back, ready to reap the rewards, everything would be fine. While she couldn’t access all of the girl’s memories, she had some surface knowledge, and she’d observed them before.

A jolt of pain made Cassandra blink and furrow her brow. That had really hurt. She hissed his pain, but the sound was enough to draw the Doctor’s attention. Worry filled those hated features. How had he not done something about those ears!?

“Rose, you alright?” the Doctor asked.

He sounded so damn concerned that Cassandra wanted to snap at him. Still, she managed to give him a slight smile.

“Bit of a headache,” she said, trying to let the tongue form the words as it wanted. “I’m fine.” Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to the Doctor, crossing her arms across her chest. “What have you found?”

“Adam wasn’t wrong,” the Doctor said softly. He nodded towards a nearby patient. “Most of these people have diseases that there shouldn’t be a cure for yet. Something has accelerated their medical science by centuries if not more.” His blue eyes were sharp, and Cassandra considered that she might understand what Rose saw in him, even if he was an alien.

“I hate to ask this, but with how far in the future we are, can you really be sure?” Jack asked, leaning towards them.

Future. Cassandra frowned. The memories of Rose stirred but pushed back when she tried to access the surface memory. And how the Doctor spoke of what science should be was strange. What secrets did this man have? If only they were as valuable as the secrets the cats likely had.

“I’m sure,” the Doctor said. “I know on the surface this is a good thing, but you know that a push forward like that doesn’t just happen. Not without a major driving force behind it. I need to find a terminal. I’ve got to make sure that there isn’t anything deadly behind this.”

“Rose,” Jack called. “You’re being quiet. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Cassandra answered, feeling impatient rise in her chest. “Really. Just a bit of headache. Could be the lights.” She gestured up at them and pointed down the hall. “I saw a terminal this way; come on.”

She hurried off heart pounding. Did they need to be so aware? She could feel their eyes on them. At least it was easy to say that she had a headache. Her head was throbbing, and Cassandra was beginning to plan on a medical check from the nuns in addition to the money. If something had gone wrong with the transfer, then she needed to know.

The Doctor scanned the terminal and rapidly checked through the menus. Cassandra allowed herself a moment to marvel at the speed of his mind. It was a pity that she wasn’t willing to roleplay his precious Rose for too long as he could certainly be useful.

“Nothing stands out as odd,” the Doctor said. “Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry.”

“No, it’s missing something else,” Cassandra insisted. “When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?”

“You’re right,” the Doctor said. He glanced her way but didn’t smile. “Well done.”

“Why would they hide a whole department? It’s got to be there somewhere,” Cassandra insisted. “Search the sub-frame.”

“What if the sub-frames locked?” the Doctor asked calmly.

“Try the installation protocol,” Cassandra offered. They were close to something. She could almost taste the money.

“Good thought.” The Doctor used the sonic screwdriver on the terminal, and Cassandra watched the technology with interest. It was a bit odd, but it worked quickly. The terminal flashed, and the wall beside them slid down to reveal a corridor.

“It certainly looks intensive,” Jack said with a hint of unease.

Cassandra just smiled. Perfect, a hidden department. This was exactly what she needed. The Doctor headed for the opening, giving her one last glance that dropped to her wrist. He said nothing, but Cassandra thought she saw a flicker of worry in his eyes. Jack motioned her to follow, placing her in the middle. Smiling at him, Cassandra followed the Doctor down the corridor, already making plans of how to deal with the pair when she had what she needed.


	4. New Earth: Intensive Care

Unto the Universe

Chapter Four: New Earth: Intensive Care

By Lumendea

………………………..

The Doctor wanted to talk to Jack privately, but with Rose between them, that wasn’t possible. He could tell that the other man had noticed something was wrong. Rose had studied computers and understood logic systems, but the complexities of a security system so far into the future were beyond her scope of knowledge. And her wrist was bare. Her Star Knight sword was missing, and he didn’t know how that could have happened.

They hadn’t been separated for long, but something had happened. The Doctor grit his teeth as they reached a narrow walkway surrounded by softly glowing pods. Something had happened to Rose that he hadn’t been there to prevent. What had he been thinking not immediately trying to find her? But he knew what he’d been thinking. Rose was capable, highly capable. He trusted her to look after herself more than he trusted Jack to do the same, though with Jack, there were other considerations.

Rose was moving wrong. Her stride was… more confident, wasn’t the right word, but practiced. A smug smile hung on her lips when he glanced back at her. It was cold. It was wrong. There was caution in her eyes, but not worry. The Doctor wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he knew something was wrong.

The Doctor stopped and pulled one open, revealing a frail and sickly man inside. Jack hissed softly at the sight of the boils, sores, and untended rashes. The man wore a simple hospital gown, but there was no sign of any other forms of comfort.

“That’s disgusting,” Rose gasped beside them. “What’s wrong with him?”

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor said softly to the man. Then he closed the door of the pod and moved to the next one.

“Doctor, what is going on?” Jack asked.

The next pod contained a young woman. She opened her eyes. They were green like the grass outside and stared at him. She wasn’t in any better condition.

“What disease is that?” Rose asked him. Her tone was wrong, more fascinated than worry.

He glanced at her; she was eyeing the pod thoughtfully and critically. No worry and no empathy. Jack was eyeing the long lines of pods that stretched out before them. So many. The Doctor could feel the rage bubbling up inside of him.

“All of them,” the Doctor growled. “Every single disease in the galaxy. They’ve been infected with everything.”

“What about us? Are we safe?” Rose asked. It was the wrong question. It wasn’t the question Rose would ask. Danger to herself was always far down on her list of concerns.

“The air’s sterile. Just don’t touch them,” the Doctor answered as calmly as he could. He closed the door of the pod.

“How many patients are there?” Rose asked. She joined Jack in eyeing the pods.

“They’re not patients,” the Doctor managed.

“Lab rats,” Jack spat out.

“They were born sick. They’re meant to be sick. They exist to be sick,” the Doctor snarled. “Jacks’ right. They’re lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They’ve built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm. Out of sight of the public, especially potential donors like Adam Tyler.”

“Why don’t they just die?” Rose asked. No rage, just curiosity. It was wrong

“They’re the plague carriers,” the Doctor said softly. “The last to go.”

“It’s for the greater cause,” a voice said behind them.

They all turned, and the Doctor glared at the robed figure. It was one of the young nuns. He’d entertained a slight hope that the younger ones didn’t know about this place. But here, it was shattered. A hope for at least some good gone, and they’d done something to Rose.

“Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?” the Doctor asked. “Did they warn you in advance or spring this on you later?”

“The Sisterhood has sworn to help.”

“Through torture?” Jack demanded. “By murder?”

“But they’re not real people. They’re specially grown,” the Novice answered. The Doctor’s rage was burning, and he tightened his hands into fists. “They have no proper existence.”

“What’s the death toll? How many of these figments die every day? A thousand today, another thousand tomorrow? How many thousands? For how many years?” He advanced on the young sister, allowing himself to enjoy the flicker of fear in her eyes. “How many!”

“Mankind needed us,” the Novice insisted as if he could be swayed. “They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn’t cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That’s all they are. Flesh.”

“These people are alive,” the Doctor said. His voice was low and calm. This nun, this healer, had completely removed herself from seeing these people as living things.

“But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us,” she instead.

“And you believe that is an equal balance?” the Doctor asked. “That this suffering is made worthwhile by their ignorant health? If they live because of this, then life is worthless.”

“But who are you to decide that?” the nun asked. She was backing up. Good, he wanted her to be a bit afraid. He wanted her to stop justifying this to him.

“I’m the Doctor,” he said simply. “And yes, I decide that. I don’t like this, so it is going to stop today.”

Then Rose shifted forward, peering at the nun, not with disdain and barely restrained rage like she should have been, but calculation. Jack was close to her, watching her with worried and sharp eyes.

“Just to confirm,” Rose said lightly. “None of the humans in the city actually know about this?”

“We thought it best not,” Novice Hame replied. She almost seemed ashamed. Despite all the justifications, they knew better than to let the population know the cost.

“Fine, you keep them in ignorance and tell yourself that it is okay,” the Doctor growled. “I can understand your twisted thought process. I can understand your vows. But I can’t understand what you have done to Rose and why!”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Hame said.

“Like we’re gonna believe that,” Jack scoffed.

“I’m being very calm and patient, Novice Hame. You should be aware of that. And my patience is only holding because of how fragile the human brain is. Whatever you’ve done to Rose’s head, I want it reversed now.”

“We haven’t done anything,” Novice Hame said again. There was confusion in her eyes, but the Doctor didn’t believe it.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Rose insisted beside him. She was smiling at him softly as if that would reassure him. It didn’t, it underscored how wrong her behaviour was.

“These people are dying, they are suffering, and Rose would care,” the Doctor said, keeping his eyes on Novice Hame.

“And her bracelet is missing,” Jack added softly. “That could only happen with telepathic interference.”

“Oh, you two,” Rose sighed. She twisted away when the Doctor started to reach for her. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

The Doctor finally looked at Rose again. She looked the same, her hair was the right shade, and her clothing was what she’d left the TARDIS in, but her eyes were all wrong.

“What did they do?” he asked in a softer tone. “Rose?”

“I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out,” Rose said, a matter of fact.

Then it all made sense. He hadn’t considered Cassandra. Even with Adam’s warning, even knowing she was in the hospital, he’d been focused on the nuns and their secret. Once they found this place, it had seemed likely that they were the ones. The Doctor swallowed back his self-loathing. It wouldn’t help right now.

“Cassandra,” the Doctor snarled.

“I take it that Adam Tyler warned you then,” Cassandra scowled. She backed away, but not far. Her hand was moving for something. “But I have plans for this new body, and you, Doctor, won’t hurt me.” Cassandra twirled a strand of Rose’s hair, smirking at him and Jack. “So, don’t make threats.” Pulling out her perfume, she began to raise it up onto to spasm. “Ah!”

“Rose- Cassandra,” Jack called.

The Doctor took a step forward, but Cassandra brandished the perfume like a weapon. “Stay away from me, Doctor,” Cassandra barked. “Or I’ll infect your precious Rose.”

“You won’t hurt that body,” the Doctor said. “Not while you’re in it.” He narrowed her eyes. “What did you do? What did you use? Psionic transfer is dangerous, Cassandra.”

“Your lover is tucked away,” Cassandra cooed. “But she’d not gone. While I prefer the notion of living my new life in a pure human, I could be convinced-”

The perfume fell from her hand, landing on the grate with a soft clink while Cassandra buckled over. Cassandra hissed, the sound desperate and pained, as she gripped her head. The Doctor narrowed his eyes, reaching towards her before hesitating. Torn between helping Rose’s body and caution about a possible plan of Cassandra’s warred within him.

“What is it?” he demanded, voice cold.

“There’s something…” Cassandra gasped. “The girl….”

“What about her?” Jack asked urgently. “If you’re hurting her-”

“Get out of her, Cassandra,” the Doctor barked. “You’re suppressing her to death.”

“No skin is dead,” Cassandra groaned. She scrambled to her feet, backing away. “I can’t- I can’t.” She looked up at him and then Jack, eyes wild. “I’ll take one of you. I’ll let her go. I have to let her go. She’s-”

“Doctor,” Jack asked. “Is it Rose’s telepathy training?”

“No,” the Doctor admitted softly. “This is something else.” He glanced back at the nun who was staring at Cassandra with a blend of horror and worry. “Did you do this?”

“I told you, we did nothing,” the nun’s voice was weaker now. Unsure and scared. “I-I need to find the Matron.”

She hurried off. The Doctor knew it meant trouble, but Cassandra was in pain that could only mean something was wrong. If he was right about how Cassandra had done this, then this shouldn’t be happening. Cassandra gripped a bundle of wires to her right, trying to stay upright, but her shaking pulled them loose. An alarm began to sound in the distance.

“Cassandra,” the Doctor called. “What did you use? Did you use a psychograft? I might be able to help?”

“Yes,” Cassandra admitted. Tears were glittering in her eyes. “Help me. Help me, and I’ll let her go.” She stumbled back, grabbing at more wires that were pulled out of the wall when her legs crumbled beneath her. The Doctor rushed closer. “Just stop this!”

“Okay, the psychograft was used recently, so you should be able to transfer yourself to other bodies,” the Doctor said. “You can use mine.”

“No,” Jack interrupted. “Use mine.” When the Doctor looked to Jack, his companion’s face was dark and serious. “We’ll need your brain to figure this mess out.”

“Fine,” Cassandra said. “It’s been a while since I was male, but I suppose it will do briefly.” She flipped her hair and inhaled slowly, preparing herself for the transfer.

But then, a scream ripped from Rose’s mouth, nearly a howl, and the Doctor could do nothing to stop it. He grabbed Rose’s arms, all too aware that it was Cassandra but needing to try and help her. Then Rose’s eyes snapped open, and the Doctor thought he saw a golden shine. Cassandra shook her head and tilted it back. He waited, expecting the telltale shimmer of a transfer, but nothing came.

“Get out of her, Cassandra,” he ordered.

“I can’t- I’m trying!” Cassandra started to cry, large tears rolling down her cheeks. “I just want to live! I just want to live! I’m a beautiful creature! I didn’t belong in a cell!”

“We need to check the machine she used,” the Doctor said. He reached towards Cassandra. “There has to be something wrong with it!” He tried to lift Cassandra, but she dead weight, and the spasms were back. “Jack!”

“I don’t know what to look for!” Jack shouted.

Cassandra’s fingers dug into his coat when the Doctor started to move. Her head was bowed, and she was shaking in pain and fear. “No!” she moaned. “No, no, no! I can’t-” She looked up at him, her eyes shining and frantic. “Don’t let it kill me!”

“What is happening, Cassandra?” the Doctor demanded. “Is it a telepathic battle?”

That didn’t make sense. He knew those machines. They were meant to override the telepathic centers so that people couldn’t defend themselves—one more reason they were outlawed. And Rose’s bracelet was missing, a clear sign that her telepathic connection to it had been overwhelmed. But he didn’t know what else it could be.

“No,” Cassandra groaned. The spasms were worse. “No. No. Chip! Chip, help me!”

The Doctor gripped her head, preparing to try and connect telepathically. It was a long shot, but if he could force Cassandra’s transference, then they could buy time. But as he tilted Rose’s head, he froze. Those familiar brown eyes were glowing gold. The Doctor gasped, alarm and terror flooding his body. He knew those eyes. They had looked at him on the Game Station, and now, impossibly, they were back. The crying stopped. Cassandra stopped moving.

“Doctor?” Jack called. His voice was near frantic. The Doctor could relate. “What’s… shit, what is that?”

Jack hadn’t seen the Bad Wolf. He’d been dead. The Doctor stared at the glowing eyes, trying to understand what was happening. Then Cassandra convulsed and screamed. This wasn’t the soft gasps and sobs of before; this was a wrenching scream that echoed through the laboratory. Cassandra slumped forward, collapsing against the Doctor.

“Rose?” the Doctor asked. “Rose, darling, can you hear me?”

“Rose?” Jack called. She didn’t respond. The alarms were sounding. “Doctor, the nuns have to be on their way. Let’s get her out of here.”

“What have you done?” a desperate and pained voice screamed. A small pale figure was rushing towards them. He looked at Rose in the Doctor’s arms and wailed.

“Your mistress?” Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You serve Cassandra?”

“Yes, I serve my lady. What has happened?” Chip glared at Jack. “What did you do?”

“Doctor?” Rose whispered, shifting in his arms. “What is…” She opened her eyes, and the Doctor exhaled in relief. They looked normal. “Cassandra! She was downstairs. She was going to hurt you and Jack, infect you. I pushed back and-” Rose caught sight of Chip over the Doctor’s shoulder and tensed. “That man was helping her!”

“Where is my mistress?” Chip asked. His eyes were wide and desperate. “Where is my lady?”

“Calm down,” Jack said. “Just, calm down.”

“No! You- you killed her!” Chip looked, Rose. “The Rose child should not be here! My mistress is-” He looked at the pods around them. “I heard, I heard what my mistress said. I was listening in. I shall avenge my mistress!”

Chip lunged around Jack, reaching for a nearby lever. Jack caught his arm, but Chip wiggled free for a moment which was all he needed. The Doctor’s eyes widened as Chip pulled the lever and the pods around them swung open just as a pair of nuns appeared in the entryway.


	5. New Earth: Lockdown

Unto the Universe

Chapter Five: New Earth: Lockdown

By Lumendea

AN: So, this chapter was actually tough to write after the past year as it deals with quarantines and dangerous diseases so this is a warning about that material. Normally, I wouldn’t feel the need to put a warning on it as we all know the original episode, but after the past year, if this is likely to cause you mental harm then maybe skip this chapter. There will be one more wrap up chapter with some Rose and Adam and some Rose/Doctor fluff after this so feel free to skip this chapter and go straight to the happy ending.

………………………..

The Doctor’s eyes widened as the Flesh climbed out of their pods, almost all at the same time, like a wave of inevitably crashing down on the nuns. Layers and layers of pods marked the thousands upon thousands of people who were infected and free. He saw the horror on the faces of the nuns as he pulled Rose to her feet, hoping that she was strong enough to move. She shook her head and swayed but stayed on her feet. The small group of Flesh approached the nuns.

“Please, save us,” a man asked the nuns.

“I think we should withdraw,” Jatt said. She and the nuns drew back slowly.

“We understood what you did to us,” the man said. His words were slow but clear in the dim laboratory. “As part of the machine, we know the machine.”

“Fascinating. It’s actually constructing an argument,” one of the nuns said.

Rose hissed in his arms, turning to glare towards the nuns, and the Doctor almost smiled at her behaving like herself. He watched the Flesh with wary eyes. It wasn’t their fault, but he couldn’t afford to forget that they were badly diseased. One-touch would kill even him. The TARDIS could do a lot to protect them from diseases, but even Artron energy had its limits. And thousands of diseases all at once was a dangerous notion.

“And we will end it,” the man said.

Before anyone could stop him, he thrust his hand into one of the sparking electrical sockets that Cassandra had damaged. Electricity burst out, electrocuted the man, and overriding the system. The locks on all of the pods exploded in showers of sparks. Then the pods swung open.

“They’re free. By the Goddess Santori, the Flesh is free!”

One of the women reached forward and touched Sister Jatt. Boils erupted over her body, and she screamed as she died. A soft gasp from Rose reminded Doctor that they were still in as much danger as the nuns. These people seemed to understand that it was the Sisters who had been in control, but he’d seen enough of the universe to know that revenge was possible.

Then the Flesh turned towards them. The Doctor wrapped an arm around Rose’s waist and pulled her through the door behind them that Jack had opened. Behind them, Chip was wailing in grief and fear. He felt guilty for not being able to get to the being, despite them being the one responsible for freeing the test subjects, but he was surrounded, and Rose was his priority. She always was, and despite the situation, he was grateful that she fought him for a moment in an attempt to reach Chip. That, more than anything else reassured him that Rose was the one in control. Beyond Chip, he could see the nuns trying to run, but at least one of them was caught in the grip of the infected people. He heard a scream but was too far away to do anything. They ran with Jack in the lead, trying to navigate the mess of tunnels that was the ICU, heading further down into the depths of the lab.

“There’s a lift!” Jack called.

“It won’t work,” the Doctor said. He glanced around; they were in a dark tunnel filled with cables and pipes. “The building is under quarantine.”

“What now?” Jack called.

“Keep moving,” Rose said. She was looking around. “This way!”

They raced down the tunnel, dodging a group of Flesh that were reaching for them. “There!” Jack yelled.

They entered a small room, and Rose hissed in alarm. The Doctor’s eyes found the burned-out frame and knew that this was where Cassandra had trapped her. Jack ran to a door and opened it only to find the Flesh on the other side. He slammed it shut before any could touch him.

“There’s a ladder here,” Jack said. His eyes moved to the frame and Rose. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Rose said. She looked at the ladder. “Looks like the only way out.”

The Flesh pushed down the door behind them. “Up the ladder!” Jack shouted. He pushed Rose ahead of them, and Rose glanced back to him. The Doctor nodded, and she started to climb with Jack right behind her, ready to catch her. “Faster, Rose!” Jack called up. “I know you’ve been through the ringer, but climb faster.”

“I’m going as fast as I can!”

The Doctor heard frustration ringing in Rose’s voice and started to climb himself. How was she really? He was pretty sure that Cassandra had been destroyed in whatever happened, but without the opportunity to check Rose’s mind, he couldn’t be sure. The Flesh were following them, climbing slowly up the ladder behind them. They were slower than the crew of the TARDIS, but they couldn’t afford to slow down.

Above him, the Doctor heard the hum of Rose’s sonic pen. A set of lift doors alongside the ladder opens, and he could see Rose stumble through them. Jack was right behind, turning around to reach for the Doctor. The Flesh weren’t far behind, and the Doctor clamored after the others. Rose was beside the door and sealed it the moment he was through. Moving to Rose, the Doctor cupped her face and studied her eyes. They were brown with small flecks of gold. Familiar and warm.

“Hi,” Rose greeted softly.

“Hi,” the Doctor replied. Then, because he could, he kissed her softly on the lips. “How do you feel?”

“Bit of a headache,” Rose admitted. “But otherwise, alright.”

“Doctor, what now?” Jack asked.

“The building has gone into quarantine,” the Doctor sighed. “No one in or out.”

Banging started on the door behind them, and the Doctor quickly guided Rose and Jack into the next room, sealing the door behind them. On the other side was Ward 26 and a frustrated-looking Adam Tyler. The assistant of the Duke came rushing at them with a chair before Adam stopped her.

“They’re clean,” Adam said. “If they’d been touched, they’d be dead at this point.”

Clovis glared at him, and the Doctor knew that they’d missed something, but he didn’t have time to ask. “What’s the status?” He asked Adam.

“We have contact with three other wards that locked down fast enough not to be infected, but that’s it. The hospital is in lockdown,” Adam explained calmly. It was a contrast to the panicking patients around them. “I managed to get a warning out to the city, but not any details. I’ve prevented anyone from trying to break the quarantine,” he said the last part with a look at the assistant.

“We should send a message,” Clovis hissed at Adam. “I’m not dying-”

“And I’m not allowing you to cause millions of death because you’re selfish and can’t follow medical protocols,” Adam snapped back. He shook his head and looked back at the Doctor. “I confiscated their devices, so I’m not popular in here.”

“Good, at least the city will know better than to break the quarantine,” the Doctor said. He almost smiled at Adam’s control of the panicking bystanders.

“Yes, but it does raise the possibility that if they don’t hear anything within 24 hours that they will take action to destroy any potential infection here.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Rose said.

“It won’t come to that,” the Doctor assured Rose. “But we can’t let these diseases get out. Right now, they’re rare, but if they spill it into a large population, then it’ll be almost impossible to contain.”

“Agreed,” Adam said. “New New York is a major travel hub, and it’ll be almost impossible to shut down. If it gets out, it won’t stop at ten million in the city.”

“Even for you?” the Doctor pressed.

“I have some influence, Doctor, but not nearly that much,” Adam replied. He seemed amused more than anything at the remark before schooling his features. “Do you have a plan?”

“We can’t cure them,” the Doctor said. “They were lab rats for the nuns.” The novices in the war shifted back in shame but didn’t protest. “But they’re behaving oddly.” He moved to a computer terminal built into the wall.

“They seem to know how to speak,” Rose said. “And what happened to them? Are they telepathic? Can we calm them down through that?” She began to pace in the room. “They all moved together. They have some kind of connection with each other.” Rose stopped and frowned. “How can they even move? They’ve been pods all their lives. They shouldn’t have much in the way of muscle.”

“The pods likely stimulated the muscles to simulate use,” the Doctor offered. Most of his focus was on the computer. “Keep them a bit stronger so the Sisterhood could study the diseases they infected them with longer.”

Rose made a sound of barely restrained fury. Her left hand rubbed at her right wrist where her bracelet should have been. The Doctor wasn’t sure if she’d fully noticed its absence or not yet and regrated that they hadn’t had time to search downstairs for it. When this was over, it would be a priority.

“How do we stop them?” Jack asked the Doctor. “Not to sound cruel, but that is a massive city, and we can’t let them out to start touching everyone.” He gestured out the window to the city of ten million waiting across the water.

“No,” the Doctor groaned. He rubbed at his eyes. “We can’t. We need to find a way to stop them.”

“Without hurting them,” Rose added firmly. “They’re victims, and we can’t let this turn into a massacre out of fear.” She shivered, and the Doctor wasn’t sure what part of the last hour had to scare her the most, the Flesh or Cassandra. “There’s already been enough death today.”

“You’re right,” the Doctor agreed. “So, we need to contain them and focus on getting them the medicines they need.”

“Can their diseases be stopped?” Jack pressed.

“They haven’t died yet. I suspect that they’ve been grown to have greater resistance in order to give the nuns more time to study the subjects. But it doesn’t explain what they are doing. Touching everyone is spreading their diseases; they have to know that, but they keep asking for help.”

“Touch starvation,” Rose said suddenly. Everyone looked at her. “Sharon and Shireen were talking about it once. Babies, human babies, can die if they aren’t held and touched. These people seemed to have been created as adults from what I saw, no children amongst them, so they may be in that stage. They are seeking out touch, not to harm, but to connect. If they are all connected to each other somehow, then it would make some sense as to why they are seeking out others rather than touching each other.” She hesitated. “I mean if we don’t think it’s just revenge.”

“Both seem possible,” Jack sighed. “I’d be more than angry if that had been my existence.”

“It would explain their desire for touch,” the Doctor said. “And, we can use that to help them.” He turned to the others in the ward. “Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!”

To his satisfaction, everyone obeyed and rushed off to follow his instructions. Adam stayed close and gathered a few materials from the beds and storeroom, helping the Doctor build a rough harness around his body. The Doctor had a feeling that Adam knew what he was planning. Rose and Adam helped the Doctor link the solutions to his body. There wasn’t enough to deal with all of the infected, but it would ease their suffering and make them less contagious if it worked.

“This won’t completely cure them, you know,” Adam said.

“I know. They’ll need more medical care, but they won’t be an infectious horde anymore.”

“Right,” Adam said. He shook his head as if trying to dispel a bad memory. “What is it with this planet and diseases,” he muttered under his breath.

The Doctor didn’t have time to ask what that was about. There was work to do. Heading into the hallway, he and Jack pulled open the lift doors. Calling Rose over, he grinned at her and jumped into the lift. Rose made a scared sound behind him, but he quickly hooked his newest toy onto the cable. Billions of years and lifts still operated on the same basic principles as in Rose’s time. Then again, a pulley was a hard system to mess up.

“Rose, I need another set of hands,” the Doctor called. “Jack, you stay here and make sure that quarantine stays in effect!”

“Yes, sir.”

Rose jumped over to join him, gripping tight to his shoulders and hooking their legs together. Fear flickered across her face when she looked down, and the Doctor regretted calling her over. After everything that had happened, he should have asked Jack. But Jack would have made the position weird.

“Hold on!”

Rose grimaced but nodded. He released the lock, and they hurtled down the cable. A laugh escaped him with Rose screamed only for the sound to turn into a frantic laugh. Her grip on him tightened, and the Doctor watched the floors whirl by. Then he slowed them down as they reached the bottom. The disinfectant tank was right where it should be. Without a word, he started dumping the medications in. Rose helped him pull off all of the packets, and he could feel her confusion.

“We’re going to use the disinfectant system,” the Doctor explained. “I’m going to need you to pull that lever when I tell you to. It’s going to resist, but that will force the system online.”

“There isn’t enough medication,” Rose said softly. “You saw-”

“I know,” he said gently. “It’ll make their diseases noncontagious. It’ll make it safe to treat them, and they will pass it to each other. It’ll be okay,” he promised. “Trust me.”

“You know I do.”

The Doctor grinned and opened the access latch to the lift. With one more glance at Rose, he jumped down and used the sonic screwdriver to open the lift doors. In the lobby, in the light of the natural sun for the first time in their tragic lives, were the Flesh.


	6. New Earth: Save the Flesh

Unto the Universe

Chapter Six: New Earth: Save the Flesh

By Lumendea

AN: The next chapter might be delayed. It features Arthur Conan Doyle and will be a pretty heavy research sink so I’ll try to get it done, but life has been a bit crazy lately so don’t panic if there isn’t an update next weekend.

………………………..

As usual, the Doctor’s mad plan worked. When the lift doors opened and the Flesh entered the small chamber, Rose activated the lever, and the disinfectant, now boosted with the medications, sprayed across the Flesh. Rose had watched in amazement as the boils had begun to clear, reminding her that this was medicine billions of years in the future. At the Doctor’s prodding, the Flesh had begun to touch each other, their haze seemingly broken. Rose watched in amazement as steam rose off their skin, leaving clear skin behind.

“Doctor?”

“They’re spreading the medication amongst themselves,” the Doctor said happily. He peered up at her through the latch door. “It’ll keep them from being contagious. Quarantine can end; we can get some proper medical staff here to help them.” He beamed up at her, and Rose smiled back, ignoring the last vestiges of her headache. “With some luck, we can get more medications from the other wards and do another batch.”

One of the Flesh walked up to the Doctor as Rose jumped down into the lift herself. He smiled and pattered the woman on the back before urging her to join the others. His smile was infectious, and Rose joined him, taking his hand.

“Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but undeniably alive,” the Doctor crowed. “Come on, let’s find Jack and see about another batch.”

Rose shook her head fondly and followed, stopping to hug a couple of the Flesh when they reached for her.

………………….

The atmosphere of the hospital was completely different after the first treatment of the Flesh. Medical staff from other locations were on-site and helping organize the new humans. Rose tried not to smile too widely at the announcement over the speaker system that all staff were being arrested. She couldn’t understand what they’d been thinking or how they’d manage to convince themselves that it was okay.

Rose glanced over to the Doctor who was speaking with Jack, his leather coat still slick with medications. They’d made up another four batches so far with Jack venturing into the other occupied wards. Medical staff from the city were seeing to the other wards. Rose wasn’t sure if they’d find anyone but the Flesh still alive, but she hoped that maybe some others had survived the diseases long enough for help.

“Gran,” Adam called softly. Rose turned to find Adam approaching her spot against the wall. He held out a golden bracelet, and Rose sighed in relief at the sight of it. “You lost this.”

“I didn’t lose it,” Rose countered. Stepping forward, she took it in her hand gratefully. She didn’t have to do anything as the moment it connected with her skin, the bracelet transformed into golden dust and swirled around her wrist to reform in place. “It was taken from me.”

“It does have an impressive security system,” Adam agreed. “I suppose it is to make sure that no one else can usurp its power.”

Rose gave Adam a thoughtful look. Something about the way he said that gave her the impression his statement had multiple meanings. He stared back at her, expression neutral, and she just knew that he wasn’t just talking about the bracelet.

“You know, for being so much like me, you have a lot of your grandfather in you.”

“That I do.”

“So, is this your favorite time period or something?” Rose asked. “Your late 20th and early 21st century?”

“We all have time periods and cultures we like best,” Adam replied. “Hybrids are common here, and there’s a lot of things I like about the culture, so yeah, I suppose I do spend a lot of time in this era.”

“I’m sorry to leave with you with a mess to clean up again,” Rose said softly. She glanced to where the Doctor was speaking gently with one of the Flesh. “He’s not good at it.”

“Really?” Adam asked sarcastically. “I had no idea.”

Rose giggled, finally releasing some of the tension that had been clinging to her body. It was to breathe as the events of the last hour crashed down on her. She had a bad idea of what had happened to Cassandra and wasn’t sure to feel about it. Adam’s expression softened, and Rose had a bad feeling that her grandson knew what she was thinking.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Adam said gently. “She used a dangerous and banned piece of technology. Those things are banned for the harm they do. If she hadn’t been destroyed, then she could have completely overwritten you. There wouldn’t have been anything left.”

“Scary to think something like that exists.” Rose shivered. “But I still… I think I know what happened, but I’m not sure.”

“Answers are coming soon,” Adam assured her. “But we both know that you already have a pretty good idea-”

“Don’t,” Rose cautioned him. “Let me at least pretend not to know too much about my own future.”

Adam chuckled but then sighed. “I understand, but really. Cassandra… there was no way out for her, not really. Using a psychograph changes the user too. She would have been able to jump between you and anyone else, but her pattern would have started fading quickly without her bonding to a body and killing the one it belonged to. It was a desperate gamble and that it failed, in the end, is not your fault.”

“Just… any other surprised I should be on the look for?”

Rose knew she shouldn’t ask, but the words slipped out. Adam gave her a soft and affectionate look. “It’s odd to hear you so worried,” he confessed. “And I can’t answer that. It’ll be alright in the end, Gran. I can promise you that.”

He glanced towards the new humans where the Doctor was still talking with them. It hadn’t been their best day. The death toll in the hospital had been terrible, but they’d saved the Flesh. It wasn’t as simple as saving more than they lost, but a wrong had been righted, and life survived on the other side of the chasm. Then she noticed Jack watching her and Adam with far too sharp eyes. She almost groaned when he started walking their way. Adam sighed and nodded to her.

“Take care, Gran. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Rose whispered to her grandson before he made his exit, hurrying over to speak with one of the police.

Jack was at her side immediately. “Okay, who is he?” Jack pressed. His eyes were narrowed on Adam’s back, and he tilted his head in consideration. “Other than a man with a very nice-”

“Don’t,” Rose said quickly. “Jack, just don’t.” She held back a sigh. “Trust me on this.”

“So, he’s related to someone that I’m going to know in the future,” Jack said. He nodded in understanding. “Someone I have a relationship with?”

“Jack, you know better than to fish.”

“Oh, I know better, but then again, you know a lot about your own future, so how dangerous can it really be?”

Rose fixed him with an unimpressed look, and Jack looked after Adam once again. Then he looked back at Rose. “Hmmm, he reminds me of you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, I suppose.”

“So…” Jack drew out the word. “Adam Tyler, who is he, Rose? Really?”

“A relative of my friend Eve,” Rose answered. Then, weighing the look on Jack’s face, she sighed and added. “Her grandson, actually. I’m not sure she’s met him yet in my time, but she’s aware of him thanks to her abilities.”

“Eve’s grandson?” Jack didn’t sound convinced. He narrowed his eyes on Rose and peered at her. “Really? Because if I was a betting man, I’d think he was your son or grandson instead.”

“Jack.”

“Or maybe both,” Jack amended. “So, you could say that without lying to me.”

“Jack,” Rose said again. More warning in her voice this time. “Don’t.”

“And a time traveler, could be a Time L-”

“Jack.”

This time Jack put his hands up in surrender and backed away. “Okay. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to the Doctor.” But his smile returned. “Congratulations, though. You two make a beautiful baby.”

Rose groaned as Jack hurried off. She could hear him laughing and contemplated leaving him behind. Only knowing his future with her family and with protecting her saved Jack from that fate. She sank onto one of the benches and smiled at one of the new humans who looked her way. It hadn’t been the best day, but all in all, not a bad one.

The Doctor eventually made his way over to her. There was a revealed spring in his step, and Rose smiled. The death toll was bad, but at least they’d saved the Flesh and a few wards. The Doctor’s good mood faded as he got closer to her, and Rose wondered how bad she looked. Her muscles ached, and she was nursing a bit of a headache still. She stood up and met him a few feet from the main door.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” the Doctor asked. His hand settled around her waist easily, and Rose smiled at the intimacy he was becoming comfortable with. “Rose?”

“I’m okay,” Rose said. “It was a lot. I was aware, mostly aware, anyway, and trying to push back. When she pulled out the bottle, she was planning to knock you both out and give you all those diseases.” Rose shivered at the idea. “And something happened. I’m not sure what it was.”

“We’ll do a check when we get back to the TARDIS,” the Doctor promised. “I’m not sure what it was either.” He hesitated, and Rose gave him a curious look. “Your eyes glowed gold,” he admitted softly. He turned to face her head-on, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. “Like when you were Bad Wolf.”

“Oh,” Rose said softly. “Could… could it have been leftovers? Or me protecting myself?”

“Maybe,” the Doctor said. “I checked and didn’t find any trace of the Vortex in you, but I suppose we can’t discount anything right now.”

“Things wrapped up here?” Rose asked.

“For the most part,” the Doctor said. He paused and shifted for a moment. “Everything okay with Tyler?”

“Yeah,” Rose said. She could tell he was suppressing a jealous reaction and was grateful for it. “I was apologizing again that he had to do the clean up.” She held up her wrist. “And he retrieved my bracelet for me.”

“He knows a lot about you.”

“He does,” Rose agreed. “It’s timelines, Doctor. I’m trying to be careful.”  
  


The Doctor nodded and Rose could tell that he was holding back a sigh. Then he smiled at her and touched her cheek. “Be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, but your caution for timelines is an attractive quality.”

“Oh is it?” Rose gave him a tongue touched smile and the Doctor’s mood cleared.

“One of your many attractive features.” The Doctor chuckled and glanced towards the police as they directed more of the Flesh towards care works. “I’m not one for giving statements to the police. Probably best we slip out while we can. And I want to get you back to the TARDIS.” His ears reddened and he hurried to explain. “To do a brain scan. We need to make sure that you’re alright.”

“Sounds good,” Rose said softly. “Anything else we need here?”

“Other than Jack, no.”

Rose chuckled and looked over to where Jack was flirting with one of the law enforcement officers who had shown up. It was a tall humanoid with rough-looking grey skin and sharp teeth, but that didn’t seem to dissuade Jack.

“Not sure he’ll want to come with us,” Rose replied.

“Harkness,” the Doctor shouted. Jack jumped and look over at them, not appearing happy with the interruption. “Meet you back at the TARDIS. Three hours!”

“Five!” Jack called back.

“Four!” the Doctor allowed before taking Rose’s hand and sighing. “At least he won’t be underfoot.”

…………………

The TARDIS medical bay wasn’t a welcome sight. As much as Rose loved the ship, they only came to this room when someone was hurt, or something strange had happened. She wasn’t sure which one it was today. The Doctor squeezed her hand before releasing it, so Rose could sit down on the medical bed. Laying back, she exhaled slowly as the Doctor adjusted a set of controls, and a halo-looking device was raised up to frame her head.

“This is going to run a comparison scan,” the Doctor explained gently. “Just to make sure that Cassandra didn’t cause any damage.”

“Will it tell us how I stopped her?” Rose asked.

“No,” the Doctor said. His shoulders slumped a little, and Rose knew it wasn’t good. “I’m afraid not. This is just a damage check.”

“Doctor? What did you see?” Rose pressed. There was more to it, she could tell. First Adam and now the Doctor. “I should know.”

The Doctor looked at her for a moment, and she watched the war of his differing instincts. On the one hand, Rose knew that he tried to keep his companions safe, even from ugly truths. On the other hand, he was a smart man and knew better than to lie to his romantic partner.

“Your eyes glowed,” he explained, a hint of frustration in his voice. “That can’t be nothing.”

Swallowing, Rose nodded slowly and closed her eyes to give herself a moment. She’d figured it was something like that. There was a whisper at the back of her mind that she didn’t want to listen to. There were still too many questions and worries.

“I understand why you’re a little freaked out.”

“I am not-”

Raising an eyebrow, Rose looked over at him but was careful not to move too much. It was still better to let the machine do its work. At least it seemed to be fast as the Doctor’s eyes were already locked on the readout screen, and his features were relaxing. A moment later, it beeped and withdrew from its position around Rose’s head. Sharon and Shireen would have been uncomfortable in much of the TARDIS, but they would be fascinated by the technology in the medical bay.

“Your scans line up,” the Doctor said. “So, whatever happened didn’t cause any damage.” Relief rang in his voice, but Rose could tell he was still bothered by the mystery. “We’ll keep working on your shields. They can’t stop a psychograft, that’s part of what makes them so dangerous, but it’ll help protect your mind from being destroyed if that happens again.”

“Okay,” Rose agreed. “That sounds like a plan?”

She licked her lips and held back a sigh. Nervous energy hummed beneath her skin, and she wondered if she should just say something. Was it safe to tell the Doctor about her suspicions? Or did that fall under the same sort of danger as other aspects of her future? No one had ever discussed it with her. Not in any clear way, so she didn’t know. And if she was wrong and the Doctor wasn’t looking for another cause, then what?

“Rose?” the Doctor asked gently. “What can I do?”

“I’m just tired,” Rose admitted. “Maybe…”

“What?”

“Let’s go nap in the library,” Rose suggested. “You can read out loud. Just don’t be offended if I fall asleep.”

The Doctor’s soft smile made Rose feel a little better. He leaned forward and kissed her softly as Rose sat up. She rested her forehead against his and smiled.

“Sorry for worrying you so much.”

“It’s just what you do,” the Doctor replied. “After all, you’re very jeopardy-friendly.”

Rose laughed at the sound of the familiar old nickname. “Well, you don’t have room to talk, Trouble Magnet.”

The Doctor kissed her again and pulled her into a tight hug as she climbed to her feet. Leaning against him, Rose put worries about the future out of her mind.


End file.
